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10 Things Every Church Needs from Its Elders Before the now gone Crystal Cathedral was internationally famous, its founding pastor, Robert H. Schuller, wrestled with his board of elders for more rapid change and ministry development. In its early years as Garden Grove Community Church, the elder board did not meet during December, and a…

5 Things to Consider Before Planting a Church Gathered for Sunday dinner, parents asked their two youngsters what they had learned in Sunday School. “It was great,” enthused their seven-year-old son. “Our teacher said the boys were better than girls!” The parents were taken aback. “Are you sure?” “Yep,” said the boy. “She said that…

Eleven Signs You’re in Crisis Mode Friends who met in biking events thought it would be great to take a summer tour on a tandem. Soon, however, their differing personalities grated. On a long, steady mountain climb they pumped without chatting, intent on finally reaching the summit. “What a view!” exclaimed the front rider. “What…

5 Things a Leader Should Do Every Day A young girl came home from school with a tummy ache. “You need something to eat,” said her mom. “Your tummy aches because there’s nothing in it.” A quick snack remedied the situation. Then the phone rang. With mom busy elsewhere, the young lass answered. It was…

Handling Failure—In Ourselves and Others Some years ago a psychologist named Aldrich published a fascinating article about his work in social services, spending most of his time with teenagers who had been arrested for shoplifting or other theft. Aldrich interviewed them to find out how they had come to this. He also talked with the…

Our participation in the present humanity of this world drives us often toward distinctions, separations, bigotry, and racism—even in the church. That was powerfully brought home to me during our time as missionaries in Nigeria. We were received with openness and love by our friends in the Church of Christ in the Sudan among the…

As a seminary intern in St. Louis, Missouri, I was part of a Jewish-Christian Dialogue group. We were seeking to understand one another’s traditions, work together for the good of our neighborhoods, and promote tolerance and respect in society. I had been invited into the group by a member of the church at which I…

Madeleine L’Engle’s fine story Dance in the Desert begins with a caravan of people traveling in hurried fear through a trackless wilderness. They seem to be running from something, and turn furtively to check the movement of shadows at the edge of their peripheral vision. Particularly noticeable among them is a young family, a husband…

A friend of mine had a wonderful dream some years ago. As he slept, his subconscious imagined him walking along a wide chasm with vertical sides and no means to cross. The footpath was safe enough, but like all of us he was drawn to the edge of the gorge. Up ahead he noticed a…